Week 1 - Nuong Vo - A04

      The articles opened my eyes to a set of new perspectives and realities that I never thought about. The article made me see the bigger picture of what is being socially engineered in our society. Asian American women work just as hard and shouldn't be used as a pawn or taken advantage of.
     Reading the "Fight the Tower: A Call to Action for the Women in Color in Academia" had flooded my mind with so many thoughts and emotions. I was surprised to read about the lack of support for Kieu-Linh Caroline Valverde. Caroline should have received proper support for her case, but it always went back to money and making the excuse that they don't have the funds to help her. It felt so frustrating to read because of the obvious injustice she was going through. It's unfortunate that the administration operates so much more like a business. It was amazing to hear how her student knew she was in the right and supported her through her case.
     In high school, my school went on a student-organized strike because of the malpractices and discontent with the newly hired bodyguard and head principle. Our teachers supported us through the strike and encouraged other students to join the strike, even though it was during class time. In the end, the strike resulted in the bodyguard quitting, and the head principle leaving in the next school year. It's powerful what a teacher and student support can do when you are against people who have more power over you.
     I wonder if teacher unions are able to provide extra support for cases like what Caroline went through. Would the union be able to provide legal support in Caroline's case?

Citation:

Solidarity, et al. 31 Aug. 2017 “Back to School: A Survival Guide For Teachers Of Color.” Medium.com, Medium, medium.com/@SolidarityWOC/back-to-school-a-survival-guide-for-teachers-of-color-8c2700eeaa10.

Valverde, K.L.C. 2013. "Fight the Tower: A Call to Action for Women of Color in Academia". Seattle J. Pham, H., & Pham, K.